Guidewires and catheters are used in a variety of different medical procedures, for example during angiographic, endovascular or surgical procedures. For example, guidewires are used to position catheters in a lumen of a patient body, such as the patient's vasculature for example. When guidewires are used in such medical procedures, a leading end portion of the guidewire is normally introduced into the patient's body through a naturally occurring orifice, or an incision, or the like. After having been introduced into the patient's body, the leading end portion of the guidewire is navigated through body lumens until a leading end of the guidewire is positioned at an area of interest. A catheter can then be slipped around the pre-positioned guidewire, inserted and navigated in the patient's lumens towards the area of interest while sliding around and being guided by the pre-positioned guidewire. Accordingly, support device 10 can be self-standing.
A guidewire positioned in the patient's lumens can be used for positioning more than one catheter in the patient. Indeed, once a given catheter has been utilized to serve its particular function, it can be pulled out of the patient's body, and another catheter having a different function can be slipped around and slid along the pre-positioned guidewire, in order to reach the area of interest in the patient's lumens.
After the catheter-surrounded guidewire is appropriately positioned within the patient's body, a loose trailing end portion thereof typically extends out of the patient's body from its point of entry. It has been found that the loose trailing end portion of the guidewire extending outside the patient's body can be difficult to manage and can disturb the medical staff performing the medical intervention. This is especially true when more than one guidewire is being used during the medical procedure.
Therefore, the use of means for supporting the trailing end of guidewires and catheters during medical procedures is desirable. Devices for supporting the trailing end of guidewires and catheters exist, but lack versatility.